The Daishonin’s sole purpose was to realize peace and security for the people. He wanted to bring them happiness above all else. It’s only natural, therefore, that he was concerned about the practices of the state and those in whose hands the destiny of the people rested. To secure peace and stability for the people, he aimed for the stability of the state. In this we can see the Daishonin’s truly revolutionary view of the people and the state. When the Daishonin speaks of Japan, he is above all referring to the land where the people dwell and the society in which they live. His primary focus is not the state as controlled by those who wield power.

This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application

The Daishonin’s specific reference to Japan is as a typical representation of a land of the Latter Day, as well as an indication of what it means to lead the people of this age to enlightenment. In other words, the enlightenment of the people of Japan equals the enlightenment of all people in the Latter Day. Furthermore, it is precisely because of his singleminded determination to help people suffering amid the harsh realities of society that he specifically names Japan, the country where he resides.

This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application

Buddhism comes down to practice. This means making a personal determination and steadfastly taking action to accomplish it, no matter what obstacles may arise. If we aren’t striving to open a way forward, what we are doing cannot be called Buddhist practice. We will only enter the path to Buddhahood by making tireless effort based on the same determination as the Buddha.

This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application

The Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches the life of the Buddha as a reality. That’s why the Daishonin urges us to dedicate our lives to the great desire for kosen-rufu. The lives of those who make this desire their own and who work in earnest to realize their pledge to do so without backsliding in faith gradually come to fuse with the life of the Buddha and bring forth the state of Buddhahood.

This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application

In any event, the life-state of Buddhahood and the great desire for widespread propagation are one and the same. It therefore follows that this vast state of life is only manifest in those who strive to actualize kosen-rufu. If we remove ourselves from the struggle to “exert a hundred million aeons of effort in a single moment of life” (GZ, 790) toward the realization of this noble cause, we cannot reveal our highest potential.

This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application

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